Torment and torture have become so inelegant.Yes, holding a knife to a person's throat will scare themno matter how they deny it,but when you do finally drive that blade into their chestand their soul drains from their eyesthat's it.They are lost to you.A broken toy that you tore apartand enjoyed while it lasted.

This is such an outdated solution for your cravings.A waste of a perfectly good unwilling volunteer.The truest way to pump from them every last drop of precious fearis to never let their torment cease.

Allow them to feel that final impactthe blade's cutthe creatures many teeth tearing them apart,and let them think that it is the end for them.That this scream and gurgle will be their live's conclusion.

But do not allow their soul to soar off to whatever heaven or hell awaits them.Bring them back.It doesn't matter how.Just anchor them to their broken flesh and bone,their agonizing mind.Then they can be your plaything for as long as you see fit.And you can subject them to as many horrors as your twisted little mind can concoct.

I've always been told I have an overactive imagination.That when I see flashes in the corner of my eye-hands reaching outdark eyes just behind meshapes that could be bodies in the shadows-it's just the light playing tricks on me.That I'm tiredor daydreaming.

Well lately it's been getting worse.I've been sitting in my house with every light onand candle filling every corner with a glowto keep the visions at bay.

But the longer I go without seeing them,the louder they shriek and scream.Like they're being tortured and torn apartbut I'm the only one who can hear.

I can't sleep to the sound of tormentor pleading hisses and howls.

No, I can't live like this.I'm turning off the lights.Every one of them.Letting the darkness in.

I've always been a creature of habit.I can't help it.When my mornings and evenings all mirror one another,steadied with the same alarms, foods, and even number of steps each time,the uncontrolled randomness that unfolds during the day is tolerable.With the end-caps in placeI can get through any tumultknowing that my evening will be clear and simplified.

But that's where they took advantage.They had their claws deep into me before I even knew they were there.

It started out as tiny shadows flickering in the corner of my eye,easily dismissed as dust, or a fly.Tiny infiltrators into my home, my sanctuary.And my mind.

Gradually it was became faces during my evening run.Wide empty sockets above shrieking mouths that appeared on treeswoven into the leaves of bushes.Although they appeared to always be screaming,I never heard a soundexcept for a wall of radio static that plunged over me.And every time I straightened up again,I hoped they would all be gone.But they always remainedcrying into the wind.

No one else sees them.I've asked neighborscoworkers and strangers on the street.But they are blind,lemmings that can't see what's actually in front of their very eyes.

Still not convinced that the darkness is alive?Well here's a way to prove it.

Find a cavity or corner layered thickly in shadowsand bring a flashlight.Watch carefully now,as you flick on the light.It's easy to miss,but if you focus you can seethe shadows skitter into the very edges or flee altogether.If the room is quiet enough,you may even hear it scuttling away.

Only a living creaturewill scramble and hissfrom the tiniest fragment of light,and floods back in when the opportunity arrizes.

The marbles were all painted to look like eyesand they glared at anyone who walked in.

Anyone who laughed at them or threw tauntswould have have something terrible and random befall them.But in the end, everyone always explained it awayand nobody blamed the eyes.

I spent most of my time in the shop ignoring themand trying not to draw attention to myself.​Minimum wage and a daily cup of free coffee was not worth getting cursed over.But I think they were interested in me.

They started appearing in weird places.The black one with the clouded pupil was on the register.The purple lopsided one was inside the coffee pot.​And once I found the cracked gold one between my feet.